Genome contains information for all the traits of life This Big Idea covers the genome as the source of all biological information needed for the maintenance and survival of an organism or microbe.It then explores the organisation of the genome into chromosomes and genes.Finally it looks at how genetic information can be decoded via transcription and translation to become traits of life.
● Understanding the genome This section aims at helping students defining the genome, and knowing the different types of genome available in a cell and also comparing genomes from different organisms and microbes.
This learning activity requires students to have internet access in class, particularly for Lesson 1.In Lesson 1, students work individually.In Lesson 2, students work in groups to share their researched information.In Lesson 3, students present their researched information.
Lesson 1 -Get students to individually research on the following using the recommended web resources here:
a)definition of genome
b)different types of genome and their definition: nuclear, mitochondrial, chloroplast genome
c)comparing the sizes of genomes from Archaea, Bacteria, Eukaryotae, Viruses, Viroids, and Plasmids
Lesson 2 -Get students to work in groups of 3 to put together their researched information gathered in Part 1 using a mind map or concept map.
Lesson 3 -Students present their mind map or concept maps on their understanding of the genome to the class.Teacher will then use this opportunity to evaluate students understanding, identify any misconceptions and correct any misunderstandings of the genome.
● Genome contains many genes which are a source of heredity information This section aims at helping students to understand how genes contain heredity information, and how the terms DNA, gene and chromosome fit together in heredity. The following notes may be used as a reference to teach this section. Heredity and Genetics(http://www.cccoe.net/genetics/heredity.html)
Heredity is the passing on of characteristics from one generation to the next. It is the reason why offspring look like their parents. It also explains why cats always give birth to kittens and never puppies. The process of heredity occurs among all living things including animals, plants, bacteria, protists and fungi. The study of heredity is called genetics and scientists that study heredity are called geneticists.
Through heredity, living things inherit traits from their parents. Traits are physical characteristics. You resemble your parents because you inherited your hair and skin color, nose shape, height, and other traits from them.
Cells are the basic unit of structure and function of all living things. Tiny biochemical structures inside each cell called genes carry traits from one generation to the next. Genes are made of a chemical called DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid). Genes are strung together to form long chains of DNA in structures known as chromosomes. Genes are like blueprints for building a house, except that they carry the plans for building cells, tissues, organs, and bodies. They have the instructions for making the thousands of chemical building blocks in the body. These building blocks are called proteins. Proteins are made of smaller units called amino acids. Differences in genes cause the building of different amino acids and proteins. These differences cause individuals to have different traits such as hair color or blood types.
A gene gives only the potential for the development of a trait. How this potential is achieved depends partly on the interaction of the gene with other genes. But it also depends partly on the environment. For example, a person may have a genetic tendency toward being overweight. But the person's actual weight will depend on such environmental factors as how what kinds of food the person eats and how much exercise that person does.
This learning activity requires students to have internet access in class to understand the terms DNA, gene, chromosome, heredity in this order using online video programs and ABC science news article.
Lesson 4 For Lesson 4, each of the 4 videos can take up to 3-5 minutes depending on students’ rate of learning.Get students to write notes as they watched and listen to each of this online video.
-They are to watch the videos in the following order to avoid confusion of the terms:
Tour of the Basics>What is DNA? -After they have all watched the online video, give students the attached handout to review their understanding of each topic.They may wish to revisit the video to complete the handout.Repeat this for the following 3 online videos.
Lesson 5 (A)The teacher continue from the last the lesson by going through the answers of the handouts, and clarify any misunderstandings.Then get students to complete “All-DNA, gene, chromosome, heredity’ attached handout to enhance and evaluate their overall understanding of this section.
-Then appoint students to work in pairs when one is a reporter and the other a scientist.The scientist gets to read the article first.Then the reporter usethe list of questions attached below to ask the scientist questions and write up a brief article on his/her interview with the scientist. Finally, each pair of reporter and scientist then edits another reporter’s work based on the given science news article. This allows students to review and use the terms they learn in this section appropriately.
This section aims at helping students to understand how DNA functions as a code, containing genetic information that need to be decoded.For DNA to be decoded, DNA gets transcribed to mRNA.The mRNA formed is then translated to its respective protein made up of amino acids. The following weblink contain notes on DNA and Protein synthesis and the Genetic code which is useful as a reference to teach this section:http://www.biologymad.com/
Lesson 6 (A)After teaching the students with the above notes on how the genetic code is decoded into proteins, you might like to use the following animated video to demonstrate transcription and translation at real time:
(B)Get students to work on the attached “Genetic code” worksheet so that they may get a chance to practice understanding codons, the degeneracy of the code, and the universality of the code.
(B)Bring some craft materials and play dough to the class.Get students to work in groups of 3 to make a Slowmation explaining how DNA can be decoded via transcription and translation.Students get started in this class by creating a storyboard, and makes use of the next 2 lessons to complete the Slowmation.
Genome contains information for all the traits of life
This Big Idea covers the genome as the source of all biological information needed for the maintenance and survival of an organism or microbe. It then explores the organisation of the genome into chromosomes and genes. Finally it looks at how genetic information can be decoded via transcription and translation to become traits of life.
● Understanding the genome
This section aims at helping students defining the genome, and knowing the different types of genome available in a cell and also comparing genomes from different organisms and microbes.
This learning activity requires students to have internet access in class, particularly for Lesson 1. In Lesson 1, students work individually. In Lesson 2, students work in groups to share their researched information. In Lesson 3, students present their researched information.
Lesson 1
- Get students to individually research on the following using the recommended web resources here:
a) definition of genome
b) different types of genome and their definition: nuclear, mitochondrial, chloroplast genome
c) comparing the sizes of genomes from Archaea, Bacteria, Eukaryotae, Viruses, Viroids, and Plasmids
- Recommended web resources that could be used for the above:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/About/primer/genetics_genome.html
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?db=genome
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genome
Lesson 2
- Get students to work in groups of 3 to put together their researched information gathered in Part 1 using a mind map or concept map.
Lesson 3
- Students present their mind map or concept maps on their understanding of the genome to the class. Teacher will then use this opportunity to evaluate students understanding, identify any misconceptions and correct any misunderstandings of the genome.
● Genome contains many genes which are a source of heredity information
This section aims at helping students to understand how genes contain heredity information, and how the terms DNA, gene and chromosome fit together in heredity. The following notes may be used as a reference to teach this section.
Heredity and Genetics (http://www.cccoe.net/genetics/heredity.html)
Heredity is the passing on of characteristics from one generation to the next. It is the reason why offspring look like their parents. It also explains why cats always give birth to kittens and never puppies. The process of heredity occurs among all living things including animals, plants, bacteria, protists and fungi. The study of heredity is called genetics and scientists that study heredity are called geneticists.
Through heredity, living things inherit traits from their parents. Traits are physical characteristics. You resemble your parents because you inherited your hair and skin color, nose shape, height, and other traits from them.
Cells are the basic unit of structure and function of all living things. Tiny biochemical structures inside each cell called genes carry traits from one generation to the next. Genes are made of a chemical called DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid). Genes are strung together to form long chains of DNA in structures known as chromosomes. Genes are like blueprints for building a house, except that they carry the plans for building cells, tissues, organs, and bodies. They have the instructions for making the thousands of chemical building blocks in the body. These building blocks are called proteins. Proteins are made of smaller units called amino acids. Differences in genes cause the building of different amino acids and proteins. These differences cause individuals to have different traits such as hair color or blood types.
A gene gives only the potential for the development of a trait. How this potential is achieved depends partly on the interaction of the gene with other genes. But it also depends partly on the environment. For example, a person may have a genetic tendency toward being overweight. But the person's actual weight will depend on such environmental factors as how what kinds of food the person eats and how much exercise that person does.
This learning activity requires students to have internet access in class to understand the terms DNA, gene, chromosome, heredity in this order using online video programs and ABC science news article.
Lesson 4
For Lesson 4, each of the 4 videos can take up to 3-5 minutes depending on students’ rate of learning. Get students to write notes as they watched and listen to each of this online video.
- Get the students to navigate to online video programs on this weblink: http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/begin/tour/
- They are to watch the videos in the following order to avoid confusion of the terms:
Tour of the Basics>What is DNA?
- After they have all watched the online video, give students the attached handout to review their understanding of each topic. They may wish to revisit the video to complete the handout. Repeat this for the following 3 online videos.
- Tour of the Basics>What is gene?
- Tour of the Basics>What is chromosome?
- Tour of the Basics>What is heredity?
Lesson 5
(A) The teacher continue from the last the lesson by going through the answers of the handouts, and clarify any misunderstandings. Then get students to complete “All-DNA, gene, chromosome, heredity’ attached handout to enhance and evaluate their overall understanding of this section.
(B) - Give students a copy of the ABC News in Science article, 15 June 2009 entitled “Genetic link between MS and Vitamin D” (http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2009/06/15/2596859.htm) to read individually.
- Then appoint students to work in pairs when one is a reporter and the other a scientist. The scientist gets to read the article first. Then the reporter use the list of questions attached below to ask the scientist questions and write up a brief article on his/her interview with the scientist. Finally, each pair of reporter and scientist then edits another reporter’s work based on the given science news article. This allows students to review and use the terms they learn in this section appropriately.
● Genes can be uncoded via the genetic code
This section aims at helping students to understand how DNA functions as a code, containing genetic information that need to be decoded. For DNA to be decoded, DNA gets transcribed to mRNA. The mRNA formed is then translated to its respective protein made up of amino acids. The following weblink contain notes on DNA and Protein synthesis and the Genetic code which is useful as a reference to teach this section: http://www.biologymad.com/
Lesson 6(A) After teaching the students with the above notes on how the genetic code is decoded into proteins, you might like to use the following animated video to demonstrate transcription and translation at real time:
Transcription video: http://www.dnai.org/index.html >code > copying the code > putting it together > transcription
Translation video: http://www.dnai.org/index.html >code > reading the code > putting it together > translation
(B) Get students to work on the attached “Genetic code” worksheet so that they may get a chance to practice understanding codons, the degeneracy of the code, and the universality of the code.
Lesson 7
(A) Get students to practise their understanding of transcription and translation online: http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/begin/dna/transcribe/
(B) Give students a chance to appreciate the processes of transcription and translation occurring in “Why the firefly glow”: http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/begin/dna/firefly/
(B) Bring some craft materials and play dough to the class. Get students to work in groups of 3 to make a Slowmation explaining how DNA can be decoded via transcription and translation. Students get started in this class by creating a storyboard, and makes use of the next 2 lessons to complete the Slowmation.
References used on this page:
Greenwood, T., Shepherd, L., Allan, R., and Butler, D. Year 12 Biology, Student Resource and Activity Manual (11th ed.). Qld, Australia: Biozone Learning Media, 2006.
http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/begin/dna/firefly/
http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/begin/dna/transcribe/
http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2009/06/15/2596859.htm
http://www.biologymad.com/
http://www.cccoe.net/genetics/heredity.html
http://www.dnai.org/index.html
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/About/primer/genetics_genome.html
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?db=genome
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genome
http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/begin/tour/
Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority, 2005. (2005). Biology, Victorian Certificate of Education Study Design. Retrieved October 4, 2009, from http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/vce/studies/biology/biologystd.pdf